Glass Slippers
by Symphony Illusion
Summary: Sasuke was a famous model. Hinata was helping out in his studio as part timer. What would happen if a possessive Itachi and a jealous Sakura came into their life? SasuHinaIta... Eventually Sasuhina.
1. Living in a different lifestyle

This is my first time writing Sasuhina. I am really inspired by this coupling. If not for the fictions out there, I won't be able to like them. Hope that you enjoy it. A great thank for Angelic Light and my friend who had help me through my sentence structures.

Brief Information:

Hinata was not from a rich family

Sasuke's father and mother was still alive

Summary: Sasuke was a famous model. Hinata was helping out in his studio as part-timer. What would happen if a possessive Itachi and a jealous Sakura came into their life? Sasu/Hina/Ita… Eventually Sasuhina.

* * *

Chapter 1 – Living in a different lifestyle

"Hinata!"

The 19 year-old girl rushed towards her friend who was waving frantically and pointing to the empty seat beside her.

"Sorry, Tenten. I had to attend to Hanabi's school opening ceremony. Neji-nii can't make it as he has some business to attend to." Her lightly tinted lavender eyes apologized.

"It's alright. It hasn't been easy for you since your parents had past away when you are young," exclaimed Tenten.

"It should be Neji-nii who had carried the burden." Hinata countered.

Her cousin Neji, who was only ten when her parents passed away, had to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of them. It was a big blow for Hinata as she was only eight. Her younger sister Hanabi was too young to understand. They were supposed to live in an orphanage since there was no relative to take care of them but Hinata did not want to live with the mean nanny and the naughty children. Therefore, they quietly 'escaped' the doom. They crept out one night and dragged their tiny feet to a place where nobody would recognize them. Neji had to take jobs to support them and Hinata would look after Hanabi and do daily housework. Tenten was their only friend at that time. She was clever and pretty with her deep brown hair tied up in two buns, showing the perfect shape of her face. Even though she was from a rich family, she was not snobby or proud. It was because of her that they would be able to attend school by paying school's fees and the books. Tenten had also wanted to pay for their small rented apartment but Neji had stubbornly refused. Hinata was deeply grateful for her kindness.

"Will you do me a flavor?" begged Tenten.

"What is it?"

"Well… I took this part-time job from a modeling agency…" Tenten nervously looked around as if some monsters were going to pounce on her. She moved closely to Hinata's ear and continued.

"It is where Uchiha Sasuke is working."

Hinata gave a blank look.

"Who is he?"

Tenten stared in disbelief and exploded, standing up.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS!! HE IS THE FAMOUS MODEL!! THE UCHILHA SASUKE!! ALL THE GIRLS WOULD BE DOWN AT THEIR KNEES TO TAKE YOUR PLACE AND YOU ARE HERE TO SAY WHO HE IS!!"

Hinata sweatdropped.

"Umm… Tenten, I think you should lower down your volume. Everyone is looking at you." She s, feeling uneasy by the stares that were directing at them.

Tenten cooled herself down and sat down.

"Don't you read magazines or watch TV? Why do you think I buy you the television? Gosh, Hinata… you should really TRY to know what is going on in this stuff, model, singer, etc."

"Sorry… I am not interested in these." Hinata lowered her head.

She sighed. "It is not your fault."

"Hinata, you apologize too much even though it is not your fault." Tenten thought.

"Anyway, as I was saying… I couldn't make it at the last minute and the agent is in need of a helper so would you want to take my place? Of course, the salary will go to you."

"Alright." Hinata agreed after thinking. She needs the money to buy Neji's birthday present.

"Thank you! Then, lets…"

A soft ringing from Hinata's bag cut her words. Hinata took a glance at her cell phone but did not pick it up. She stared at her lap, suddenly finding it interesting. The ringing stopped after awhile and silence fell between them. Tenten took a sip of her ordered soda before she spoke again.

"It's Naruto, isn't it?"

Hinata nodded slowly, still not looking up from her lap.

"I…I…still can't… face him after what… had happened." She choked back her tears as she tried her hardest not to remember the incident.

Naruto was her crush when she was in her high school. Captured by his enthusiastic and positive thinking, she immediately like him but Naruto had only seen her as his friend. They were very close and Hinata started to believe that he might have a small feeling towards her that was more than a friend. It was a week ago when she had confessed to him while walking to Naruto's favorite shop, Ichiraku Raman.

_Flashback_

"_Naruto-kun… I have something… to tell you," Hinata stammered. Her face was as red as a lobster._

"_What is it?" Naruto grinned widely._

"_I… I LOVE YOU." Hinata shut her eyes as she wait for his reply._

"… _I am sorry, Hinata… I don't feel the same way as you."_

_She could hear the sound of her heart breaking into million pieces. It was painful… very painful._

"_Umm… I am sorry… to have startled you… Umm… I suddenly remember that I need to fetch Hanabi from school. Sorry, I need to rush now." Hinata quickly rambled her last sentence and left him, running away as far as possible. Her tears couldn't stop falling from her eyes._

_End of flashback_

In the end, Tenten asked her to go home to prepare for tomorrow's work after seeing her still emotionally affected by Naruto when they were shopping. After Tenten gave her last comforting words before she left, Hinata pondered over her love life. She looked at a happy couple beside her and felt depressed.

_Love came like the story in a fairy tale for everyone except me. I will never find a true love who will love and understand me._

……………………………

"Is this the right direction?" she thought to herself as she checked the room number written on a paper. She was inside the building where she was supposed to be working but she could not find the room that was given to her from a security guard. All the rooms looked the same to her and there was nobody around to ask for help. She sighed in frustration. She was lost and was late for work. But luckily, she saw a guy walking towards her.

"Excuse me…umm." Hinata paused as his onyx eyes stared intensively at her. She had never seen such intimating eyes and somehow she felt scared.

"Umm… can you direct me to room 34? I am… kind of lost…"

"What is your name?" His eyes were still staring at her face.

"Hin…Hinata Hyuuga. I am the new helper."

She felt like hitting herself for being weak but she could not help it when she talked to strangers. It was her habit since young.

"Follow me."

Hinata stay rooted for a while before she realized that he had walked away from her to the right direction. She quickly caught up with him and took a glance at him. He did not seen to be a worker as he was wearing expensive clothing and it had different cuts on his black shirt making him look dashing.

"We are here." They entered and Hinata saw people setting up lightings and camera which focused on the centre stage of the room.

She bowed and mumbled her thanks before he walked to the opposite side of the room. She looked around for a long blond hair girl who was around the same age as her and finally saw her at the dark end of the corner.

"Ano… Are you Yamanaka Ino? I am… the new helper sent by Tenten." Hinata said softly as she approached her.

"Ah! You are finally here. What took you so long? You were lost aren't you?" She grinned.

"Yes but I was directed here by someone." Hinata smiled at her cheerfulness.

"It's good that you make it here safely. Well, let's get to work. Help me carry all these boxes to the other end," she said, pointing to the whole lots of boxes.

When Hinata was carrying the box, she saw the same man that helped her in the centre of the spotlight.

"Okay Sasuke, tilt your head and look at the camera… Good..." The camera flashed a couple of times while Sasuke changed his position.

Hinata stared in awe. So he was the Uchiha Sasuke that Tenten was talking about. She blushed as their eyes met and quickly looked away. She admitted that he was handsome but she preferred Naruto. Naruto was lively and dazzling attractive but Sasuke was seductive attractive and somehow, dangerous.

Hinata shivered at the thought of his piecing eyes. She did not know whether she was considered lucky to be able to have a close distance with him. Shaking her thoughts off, she continued with her work.

"Alright! We will have a fifteen minute rest."

Once Sasuke sat down, most of the girls started crowded around him, giving him drinks and towels. Hinata ignored the tugging of her heart and brought the next box to the other side. Unfortunately, she tripped over a wire on the floor and fell. She quickly closed her eyes as the fallen lighting stand was about to hit her. In a flash, a warm body covered her own, protecting her from the injury.

"Sasuke!"

Hinata opened her eyes, shocked as their face was an inch apart. She gently pushed him away and watched in horror as he clutched on his shoulder.

All the people were in a panic.

"Uchiha, are you alright. Is it very serous? I think we should cancel off this shoot today."

"No. I'm fine. Let's carry on."

"But…" Before the photographer could protest, Sasuke was already on the stage.

Hinata could not utter a word as she stared at him. Even though she knew that he was in pain, his face did not show it and act as if there was nothing happened. The shots finally end and Sasuke was brought to another room with his manager.

"This is your entire fault that Sasuke was injured." A girl spitted out.

Hinata felt depressed. It was because of her carelessness that somebody was hurt. She went to find Sasuke to apologize. This time she could easily find his room and knocked on the door. His manager opened it.

"Ah! You are the girl whom Sasuke had saved. Come in."

Hinata walked in and saw his shoulder was halfway through being bandage.

"I'm really sorry to cause you trouble. If there is anything to help you, I will be willing to do it."

The manager cut in when Sasuke was about to speak.

"It's not really your fault. Girls should be protected by guys. By the way, my name is Hatake Kakashi, Sasuke's manager… Hmm… but if you really want to help, you can be his assistant."

Sasuke and Hinata turned their direction at him at the same time.

"What!"

_Just like the fairytale_

_A girl was waiting for her prince to save her_

_From the ugliness of this world_

_Their key to happiness is_

_The glass slippers  
_

* * *

Chapter 1 finished. 

I was planning to write my other story finish but I could not think of any ideas to continue. Sasuhina is my recent favourite coupling and this story just came into my mind so I decided to write it down. I am not sure whether I can finish this story like my other story, Stolen Kiss, but I will do my best.

There will be some grammar errors so please excuse me.

Lastly, don't forget to review. It is important to me. I really wanted to know whether this story is good or not.


	2. Troubles

Thank you for the reviews! They really do encourage me to write more…

Here is the other chapter… hope you enjoy it! Warning: There is Sakura's bashing. (For the upcoming few chapters only)

My friend did not help me for correction so this chapter is not as good as the first chapter.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Chapter 2 – Troubles

Hinata stood beside Kakashi as she looked at Sasuke who was posing yet another pose in front of the camera. Kakashi was engrossed with his Icha Icha Paradise book again and a snicker or two could be heard from him. She sighed as she recalled what had happened in Sasuke's resting room.

_Flashback_

"_What!" Sasuke and Hinata cried out._

"_Well, I thought that she could help me with my work since taking care of Sasuke is quite tiring," Kakashi calmly said while Sasuke shot him his death glare._

"_Sasuke's fans are a pain in the neck and I have to help him get out of this mess every time. Now that Sasuke has injured his right shoulder, it is hard to protect him. Having an assistant can reduce half of my work and I am able to enjoy reading my book," he continued._

"_Stupid pervert." Sasuke mumbled._

_Hinata heard it but did not understand what he meant until…_

"_You and your stupid PORN books. What kind of manager will do his job sloppily?"_

"_Porn?!" Hinata thought as she stared at Kakashi in horror._

"_I do not want a girl to stick around with me," he said coldly. "Moreover, she may be my fan…"_

"_I am not your fan. I don't even like you," Hinata blurted out._

_Sasuke stopped talking and stared at her in a weird expression while Kakashi stared in amusement. She blushed at her outspoken words and nervously pointed her fingers together._

"_Umm… I mean… I have somebody… I like…and umm… I don't even know Uchiha-san much…"_

"_Hmm… This is my first time hearing that nobody like him." Kakashi said._

"_I don't mean it in a bad way…"Hinata tried to reason him but he brushed it aside._

"_Anyway, since she is not interested in you, you do not have to worry anymore… She just helps me in treating your injury after each shoot and you can ask her for any help if you want to."_

"_Fine! As long as she does not interfere on my personal life," Sasuku grumbled._

_Kakashi patted Hinata's shoulder, grinning widely as if he had just won the big marathon._

"_So from tomorrow onwards, come to this place at 8 in the morning. What is your name?"_

"_Hinata… Hyuuga Hinata… but I don't…"_

"_Don't worry about the salary. It will be seventh times of what you will get from Yamanaka."_

_Hinata's eyes widened. Seventh time! That would help cover up her house rent for a year and Neji-nii would not have to work so hard at night._

_She agreed._

_End of flashback_

That's how it happened and now she had to stick with Sasuke until Sasuke's job was done for the day.

"Okay! Let's have a break."

Sasuke sat heavily down on a chair and Hinata went to check on his shoulder. It was slightly swollen. She put a pack of ice on his injury to relive him from the pain.

"The next shoot will have you with a female model. She is Haruno Sakura. So do well for the shoot," said Kakashi, still not looking up from his book.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?!" Sasuke literally screamed.

Not being affected about it, he replied.

"If I told you about it, you won't do this shoot."

Sasuke groaned and muttered a few curses. Hinata was confused. Is Haruno Sakura that bad?

"SASUKE-KUN!!"

A flash of pink hair flew past Hinata and she saw a pretty girl hugging Sasuke. Her green eyes gleamed happily as she looked at Sasuke's irritated face.

"It's been a LONG while since we can get to take pictures together. The theme for today's shoot is lovers! I am so excited!"

"Get off me, Haruno," Sasuke whispered furiously. He gave her his coldest look.

"Mou… you are not cute at all." Sakura pouted but obeyed obediently.

Sakura then noticed Hinata who was staring at them.

"I never see her before. Who is this ugly person?" Sakura's voice was dangerously low. Hinata was hurt by her comment.

"Hinata. She is Sasuke's assistant." Kakashi replied for Sasuke as he flipped to the next page of his book.

"Assistant!? How come Sasuke needs…" Her voice was cut off by the photographer.

"Sasuke and Sakura! Quickly stand in front of the camera now!"

Sakura gave an angry 'hmm' before she walked to the spotlight with Sasuke.

"This shoot is about lovers so pose it as one."

Flash.

During the shoot, Sakura wrapped her hands around Sasuke and stood VERY close with him.

Flash.

Sakura moved her body and acted as if they were going to kiss. Her lips will a few centimeters from Sasuke's and both of their eyes were half closed.

Flash.

"Beautiful." That was the only word that came across Hinata's mind as she stared at them. Her hands clamped together and placed them on her chest. She could feel the heat radiating from her body as Sasuke lowered his head onto Sakura neck. It looked so seductive even though they were not actually lovers.

"Sasuke and Sakura are so beautiful. Nobody in this world will be able to compare them." Some workers sighed and whispered among themselves.

Hinata mentally nodded as she continued to stare at them. Sakura was indeed beautiful and they did make a great couple. They could even win the best couple award. However, Hinata was a bit envious of her beauty. Unlike Sakura, who had long hair and shiny green eyes, she had shoulder-length hair and dull-lavender eyes.

Unknown to Hinata, Sakura was glancing at Hinata and smirked at her down-cast expression.

"You can't win me," thought Sakura.

"We are done for the day. It's great that I can get good pictures from both of you."

After the photographer went to do his stuffs, Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"We got praise from Tanaka! It means that we make a great couple! Ne Sasuke, it is lunch already. Let's go for this restaurant that my manager introduced."

Sasuke ignored her and walked toward Hinata.

"Kakashi has something to do. Let's go. I promised that we will go for lunch together."

Hinata croaked her head.

"Did you promise me that..."

"Yes. We did." Sasuke grabbed her hands and dragged her to the exit. Sakura was glaring at Hinata as they walked off.

"Sasuke is mine. I won't let you take him away from me."

…………………………

"Umm… Uchiha-san? Where… are we going?" Hinata questioned as she glanced at Sasuke at the corner of her eyes before looking at her laps. She was in his car and the tension seemed to get very uncomfortable as it went further.

"We are going for lunch. If I don't bring you out, Sakura will stick with me for the entire day."

"Oh…"

It was not long till they reached a quiet restaurant. The moment they stepped into the place, Hinata was in awe. It was beautifully decorated, with artistic drawings on the wall and small vases of flowers were placed in each table. It was cozy and had a sense of refreshment.

"Good afternoon. A table for two?" a waiter asked.

Sasuke nodded and followed him while Hinata slowly trailed behind him. It was a good thing that Sasuke had worn a cap and lenses, making his eyes dark red in color, or else the people would recognize him. Who knows what they would do to him?

Once Hinata looked at the menu, her eyes bulged out. It was SO expensive. Even the costs of drinks were the same as the cost of her daily meal.

"So what do you want?"

Hinata almost dropped the menu and looked up at Sasuke. Her face flushed as he waited for her reply.

"Umm… I will… (She took a quick scan at the menu) have chicken spaghetti."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow and nodded before he spoke to the waiting waiter. After that, he turned and observed her who was fidgeting in her seat.

Usually, he found that girls were annoying but this girl… Hyuuga Hinata was an amusing person. From the first time he met her, he noticed quite a few things. She was not like any girls who cared about the latest fashion or put make up to make themselves pretty. Unlike girls who usually pick the most expensive dish when eating with a rich fellow, Hinata pick the cheapest dish. She was also not a whiny person or spoke in a high girly voice to get attention. In fact, she would do anything not to get any unwanted attention.

Most importantly, she was not crazy about him. Girls would always stick to him like strong magnet to get his look and money but by her body movement, it seemed that she wanted to get further away from him.

It was an awkward silence throughout the lunch. Hinata tried to start a conversation.

"Umm… Uchiha-san, what make you want to become a model?"

Sasuke took a bite from his steak before he mumbled angrily.

"I was dragged into this job."

"But you don't seem to hate it."

"It is the only way to be absent from home most of the time," he replied shortly, not wanting to continue with this conversation.

"Now I am making the atmosphere worse," Hinata thought bitterly.

"Oh my gosh! Are you Sasuke? I am a reporter from the Suzu Magazine. I am so glad to see you! Can I ask you a question? Are…" A red-headed woman appeared out of nowhere.

As she kept questioning, she moved closer to Sasuke and was almost an inch to his body. Hinata could see his irritating and annoying look, ready to kill any moment. His eyes flashed dark blood color.

"Excuse me... I believe you got the wrong person. Sasuke has… onyx eye color while my friend here, is dark red... You are disturbing him…" Even though her voice was soft but there was a tinge of firmness in her words.

Failed to see the contact lenses, the reporter's face turned an embarrassing redness and mumbled a 'sorry' before she rushed off.

Hinata sighed and faced Sasuke who was turning to the side. She had to strain her ear to hear him say 'thank you." She gave a small giggled and smiled. The tension seemed to lift off and in turn, gave a comfortable atmosphere. She silently thanked the girl for her interference.

Sasuke grunted. She better be grateful that he could say it out. He was not the type who could easily say the word 'sorry' or 'thank you' to anyone. He could not understand why she was smiling just because of that.

"She is indeed different from all the girls I know." Sasuke concluded.

A small ring sounded from his pocket and he answered his cell phone.

"What is it?"

"Yo! You had disappeared along with Hinata in the shooting place when I was looking for you… Did you do anything naughty to her?"

"I am not a pervert like you! Why are you calling? This better be good…"

Sasuke almost dropped his fork when he heard the next sentence.

"Itachi is coming back from New York."

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Chapter 2 is finished.

There will be more upcoming chapters when I change to Sasuke's thoughts and feeling in the middle of the chapter. This is because I want you to know how Sasuke felt towards Hinata. I am not sure whether Sasuke is OCC since I don't really watch Naruto. I was influence by my brother and watch bits of the show or read fanfiction to know how the characters really are.

Another thing is that I am not sure how the chicken spaghetti costs but I treat it as the cheapest in the menu.

Lastly, don't forget to reviews!


	3. Brothers

Thanks for the reviews! I will not update as soon as possible since it is my final year in secondary school. I need to study hard for the examination and will not have time to write so please be patient with me.

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Chapter 3 – Brothers

Sasuke felt like banging his head on the wall. He had just received a call from his servant that Itachi had disappeared from the airport once he had passed his luggage to him.

"Where the hell did he go?"

………………………

"This should be all I need." Hinata thought as she looked at the grocery list. She was walking back home from the super market, carrying a big bag of food ingredients in her right hand. The other hand held a piece of paper with Neji's neat handwriting. Her house was located a few blocks away from the market and she had to walk past a river bank at the side of the road. It was a wonderful sight to face as the morning, evening sun brought out the reflection from the river. Small light of bright orange lingered on the surface of the river.

There was no work today as Sasuke had some family issues and was needed home. Hinata almost wanted to shout for joy when Kakashi told her. Though it was rude to feel this way, she was more than relief to escape from Sakura's glare and Sasuke's intense look. This thought had already sent shivers down her back. However, since she was used to work for more than half a day, she realized that she had nothing much to do in her free time. In the end, she decided to help Neji to buy grocery.

Hinata was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she did not notice a person standing in front of her. He was snapping photos of the scenery. Neither of them noticed one another and so they bumped.

"Ouch." Hinata thought out loud along with the sound of broken lenses of the camera. Her ingredients had fallen out from her plastic bag.

Shit.

"I… I'm sorry!" Hinata cried out. She stood up and bowed apologetically.

"I should… have looked in front… I will… pay for the damaged camera."

The stranger stared amused at her reaction and replied. His voice was deep and powerful.

"It's $100 000."

Hinata stared in horror. How could she pay back immediately?

"You don't have to pay me. It's just the lenses that are broken." He said smoothly, rejecting her offer. "Do you know where there is a nearby camera store?"

"I… I know. I will bring you there as a form of my apology. My… my name is… Hinata." She was unsure whether she should give her name to a complete stranger. However, she would try to pay him back if they meet again. The stranger did not reply for a while and pick up his broken camera.

"Itachi."

………………………

When Itachi and Hinata went into the store, he walked straight to the shop keeper, leaving Hinata behind to look around. It was her first time entering this kind of shop. Many different camera displays were set up. There were various sizes and colors. The latest cameras were displayed in front of the shop's window for the shoppers to see while others were store in the glass cabinet. The older cameras were put in the left side of the store. Hinata was interested at the older cameras.

"This camera is good at capturing fast moving objects clearly."

She looked up from a camera that she was observing and stared at Itachi.

"How do you…"

"I'm a photographer."

Hinata resumed staring at the camera. "This is cool. I mean… you can take all kinds of beautiful things in the world and treat them as precious memories. It doesn't matter whether this object is important or not. As long as a person looks at an abject in a different light, instead of thinking it as a random object, the photos will come out as beautiful as what the person thinks. What matters most is that you enjoy it."

"Hee… You are a strange person." Itachi mumbled.

"Nani?"

Itachi shook his head, hiding his small smile.

After the camera had repaired, they walked together in silence to their own destination. When Itachi turned to walk to a different direction, Hinata bowed and smiled.

"Sorry for the damage. I hope that we will meet again."

"Same…"

"Aniki!!"

A voice broke their conversation. Hinata was surprised to find Sasuke panting heavily as he stopped in front of them. It was a miracle that no fans were around at this time.

"I have been looking everywhere for you. Do you know that Father is waiting?… Hyuuga! What are you doing here?"

"Do you two know one another?" Hinata asked curiously.

Itachi and Sasuke pointed at one another and said simultaneously.

"We are brothers."

"NANI!" Hinata stared in shock. Come to think of, they did look alike.

"Oh yeah, tomorrow's photo shoot will be 2 hours earlier than the usual time so don't be late like last week."

Hinata blushed and rebuked back.

"I had to stay up late on that night to help Kakashi set up YOUR outfits for the photo shoot on the next morning."

"Whatever."

Itachi silently watched the interaction between them. An uncomfortable feeling filled his heart as Sasuke playfully poked a finger on Hinata's forehead which caused her to pout. He could not stand the sight in front of him and cut in smoothly.

"Let's go, Sasuke… It seems that we will meet again, Hinata-san. See you tomorrow."

Hinata was confused. What did he mean by 'tomorrow'.

Before she could question him, he and Sasuke were gone.

…………………………

"We're back." Sasuke called out. They entered into the main hall of the mansion and saw their father, Fugaku, waiting solemnly for them.

"Where did you go?"

"Just taking photos around the town," Itachi replied coldly.

"Don't forget you are still the heir of Uchiha. You should know the limit in 'playing' with your job. At night, you are required to attend the meeting with me."

With that, he left them while Itachi bowed in respect. Without a single word to his mother who was watching the short conversation, he went to his room.

"Don't be depressed, Mum. He is just frustrated at Father's words." Sasuke comforted her.

Mikoto smiled sadly as she looked at Itachi's retreating figure.

…………………………

Itachi lay on his bed, tiredly. The hatred in his heart burned strongly towards his father. Since young, he had to live up to his expectation, training hard so that he could take over his business. He was like a puppet, being controlled by the master of the house and if this continued on, he would turn mad. However, he found comfort in taking photos when he was 13 years old. It had become his first hobby. Fukagu was displeased with his newfound hobby and objected to him being a photographer. In the end, Itachi made a bargain with him. He would take over his business when he was 26 if he would allow him to be a photographer for the time being.

"I'm still left with 2 years before I am sealed with that junk," Itachi thought.

He already had a promising job and splendid future. Everyone wanted to be in his position yet if he could, he would have chosen his hobby over the Uchiha empire. Nobody could understand him except maybe her.

Itachi smiled as he recalled her words.

"_What matters most is that you enjoy it."_

A soft knock interrupted his thought.

"Come in."

Sasuke entered and said in a soft voice.

"Mum is worried about you."

Itachi signed.

"I will talk to her later."

Sasuke walked away from the door and leaned against the study table which was beside his bed.

"What made you come back? I thought you would rather stay there than coming back to see Father."

"I received a letter from Tanaka. He said he needed to be on leave for a month and requested me to take his place temporally. He said you are doing well so I expect highly from you."

Sasuke grumbled softy.

"Secondly, I am taking part in a competition held in Tokyo." Itachi continued.

"What is it about?"

Itachi did not reply and Sasuke did not bother to ask again.

"Well, I am going back to my room." As Sasuke reached for the door nock, Itachi stopped him.

"What do you think about Hinata?"

Sasuke paused and did not look at Itachi.

"She is helpful, shy… Why did you ask?"

"I am interested in her. You don't mind, do you?"

Sasuke did not answered and walked out of the room.

…………………………

Once Hinata reached the studio, she was so busy helping out with Kakashi that she did not notice that Itachi and Sasuke entered. It caused quite a commotion as girls came flooding around them.

"Sasuke, who is this guy?" a short, blond hair girl asked excitedly.

"My brother." Sasuke replied coldly, trying to push his way.

However, the girls squeaked and hung onto him even more as they started questioning him. Itachi walked away from them and approached Hinata. He took one of the heavy boxes from her hands.

"Eep! Oh… Itachi-san. It's alright. I can handle it… what are you doing here?"

I'm here to take over Tanaka's work for the time being."

At the corner of Sasuke's eyes, he saw the closeness between Itachi and Hinata and could not help feeling angry. He stomped his way beside Kakashi and silently sulked.

"What are you angry about?"

Sasuke did not reply and Kakashi looked up from his book.

"You are not jealous. Are you?"

"Sasuke! Please stand in front of the spotlight now." A voice called out before he could respond.

Sasuke walked to the centre of the spotlight and the waiting Itachi smirked at him.

"Show me what you got."

Flash.

While Sasuke was posing, his mind was in a deep thought.

"Jealous? How can it be? It's not like I am in love with her. I am definitely not jealous." He thought.

"I just dislike seeing any guy being close with her."

_I am interested in her._

Sasuke closed his eyes angrily. Itachi signed and stopped the shooting.

"Sasuke, I am disappointed with you. You are too stiff and obviously, not concentrating. We will have a break."

Sasuke sat down fumingly on the nearby chair. He was frustrated at himself for not focusing, frustrated at Itachi for liking Hinata and frustrated at Hinata for being in his thoughts all the time.

"Sasuke-san, are you alright? Is your shoulder still hurting you?" Hinata appeared in front of him. She was worried after seeing his performance just now. He was acting differently. Something seemed to be bothering him.

"I'm fine." Sasuke breathed out.

"Maybe… I should tell Kakashi-san and Itachi-san to let you go home and rest."

Before Hinata could walk away, Sasuke grabbed her hand.

"Don't go."

He pulled her closer to him. Their faces were only inches away.

"Just look at me. Only me."

Sasuke immediately released her hand and walked back to the spotlight. Hinata's face was burning red and she stared at Sasuke who was getting ready for the shoot.

"We will start again," said Itachi.

Sasuke looked at Hinata and smiled. As the flash kept going, Sasuke showed his best. Everyone especially Itachi was shocked. They had never seen Sasuke acted this way before. His pose was much sexier and his face held such gentleness that even Itachi could not believe that Sasuke could have this kind of expression. His eyes were filled with love and passion.

"Good! We are done for today."

Sasuke ignored all the people who were surrounding him and walked to Hinata.

"You are very handsome…" Hinata blushed and nervously pointed her forefingers together.

Sasuke did not say a single word and turned his head away from her. If Hinata could look more closely, there was a tinge of blush on his face.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Chapter 3 is finished. Hope you enjoy it.

Don't forget to review!


	4. Something else

This is not a chapter.

I have done a Sasuhina video… I am having a small holiday so decided to make it. Click to youtube and check it out! Go to my profile symphonyillusion. Hope that you enjoy it!

The story goes like this: Sasuke and Hinata had been dating but Sasuke still had fear in his heart in loving Hinata wholeheartedly. He avoided being close with her as he did not want to experience losing someone again. Hinata, however, continued to wait for him until he accepted her.

My next chapter will be posted on late November or December so please be patient with me.


	5. Facing the past

Here is the chapter everyone is waiting for! I have decided to update early since I am too bored with my studies…hehe… Thanks for all the reviews! I am delighted to see so many people love my story.

In case you are confused, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke are childhood friends. Hope that you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 4 – Facing the past

"Naruto-kun… I… I love you." Hinata finally stammered out her feeling. Naruto was staring at her with a blank expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Hinata… I don't feel the same way."

Hinata woke up. Her heart was beating very fast and tears were falling down her cheeks. She wiped the tears away and calmed her heart. It had been quite a long while since she had this nightmare. She glanced at her clock on her table. It was five in the morning. She sighed and tried to sleep again but the dream kept haunting her. In the end, she stared at her ceiling waiting for the sun to rise.

……………………………

"Hinata, bring the clothes over here!" Ino called out. Hinata obeyed. She had gone back to work under Ino instead of under Kakashi as Sasuke was fully recovered from his injury last week. She carried the load of clothes in her hand and walked quickly towards Ino. The heavy weight was lifted off when Sasuke appeared and helped her.

"Sasuke-san, thank you…"

Sasuke grunted and followed her. Hinata smiled secretly. Even though they would not be as close as before but Sasuke would try to communicate to her one way or other. She had heard from the rumors and had also seen for herself that he would always try to keep a distance from girls. Hinata was glad that Sasuke was willing to accept her as her friend.

"Why are you smiling for?" questioned Sasuke as he glanced at her.

"Nothing…" Hinata beamed.

Sasuke grunted again and did not bother to pry any further.

"Wow, it is rare to see Sasuke helping out in the studio especially with a girl," Ino mused when they passed her the clothes.

Sasuke gave her a look to stop her from thinking further and Ino laughed,

"Well, if I was still chasing after you, I would be jealous of Hinata and would haunt her down." She winked at Hinata. "Don't worry. I won't steal your boyfriend."

Hinata blushed and rebuked back.

"He is… just a friend."

"Yeah… whatever you say… It's late already. You are done for today so I will see you tomorrow."

Hinata nodded and Ino walked off. On the other hand, Sasuke was still bothered about Hinata's words. He could not understand this feeling of … hurt and anger.

"Well, anyway, it's not as if I love her." He thought sullenly.

"Sasuke!!!" A punch suddenly appeared and was about to hit his face but he blocked it.

"Still as weak as ever, dope." Sasuke smirked.

"Shut up! You should be glad that your best childhood friend has come to invite you for dinner," growled Naruto.

"Naruto-kun?!" Hinata was shocked to see the cheerful guy in front of her. The dream flashed in her mind and she started to panic.

_I'm still not prepared to see him_.

"Eh! Hinata! What are you doing here?" asked Naruto when he finally noticed her standing behind Sasuke.

She forced herself to smile and replied, "I am working here as a part-time job,"

"Oh… Join us for dinner! My treat."

Hinata wanted to reject his offer but she remembered what Tenten said to her. It's no use trying to escape. She has to face it sooner or later and move on. She agreed hesitantly.

"Sure…"

Sakura entered the studio and quickly found Sasuke. She did not notice Naruto who was talking to Hinata.

"Sasuke, let's go out for dinner."

Naruto broke the conversation with Hinata when he heard Sakura's voice.

"Sakura-chan!!" shouted Naruto excitedly.

"Naruto…" Sakura stepped back with disbelief and disgust. Naruto ran and stretched his arms for a hug but she punched his right cheek, sending him to the other direction.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Hinata was stunned to see the composed and beautiful lady suddenly turning into a violent and strong woman.

"Ouch! Why do that to a person who loves you? Anyway, it's been a long while since I meet you. I am just showing my happiness."

Hinata's expression dropped. So this was the reason why Naruto had rejected her. It seemed that Sakura and Naruto had met before Hinata knew him. She had already lost Naruto before she confessed to him. She could not compete with Sakura. Sakura was beautiful, strong and a confident person while she was none.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had noticed Hinata's change of mood since Naruto came. He knew the smile she had given to Naruto was not genuine and it was obvious that she was uncomfortable around him. Moreover, when Sakura appeared, she became depressed.

"What had happened between them?" he thought.

"Ne, Sakura, want to join us for dinner?"

"Well, if Sasuke is going, sure!"

"Okay… Let's go! To the Ichiraku Raman!"

……………………

It was a short walk to Naruto's favorite stall and all of them settled down quickly, hungry after a long afternoon.

"Hey, Otsan!" shouted Naruto happily to the owner of the Ichiraku Ramen.

"Yo, Naruto. Same as usual?" asked Teuch.

"Yep! Three bowls of ramen!" beamed Naruto.

After the rest ordered their meals, Naruto started the conversation.

"Ne Hinata, did Sasuke bully you when you work?"

Sasuke glared at him while Hinata quickly replied.

"No… Sasuke had been kind to me…"

Naruto was shocked while Sakura was boiling mad as Sasuke only acted indifferently towards her.

"Kind!! Wow, I have known Sasuke for very long and this is the first time I heard from anyone that Sasuke had been KIND. Are you sick?" Naruto reached out to Sasuke's forehead but he angrily pushed his hand away.

"I'm perfectly fine, dobe."

"Well, I remember the time when you almost hurt a girl in school when she was flattering over you and Sakura and I have to prevent her to come any closer to you."

"Yeah, Sensei was scolding Sasuke badly." Sakura cut in.

"I will show you that Sasuke and I had spent so much time together. You can't win over our memories," Sakura secretly smirked at Hinata.

"Oh! Remember the time when we performed in the school play? Sasuke was the prince and I was the princess. Naruto was the evil creature that kidnapped me. Sasuke was so handsome when he came to rescue me," said Sakura dreamingly.

"Hey, I should be the one that play the role of a prince. I am much better in acting than Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Teme!! What is that for?"

"Naruto! Just because you are jealous of Sasuke, you don't have to put your anger on him. Sasuke has much more talent than you"

Hinata listened silently as they continued arguing. It was depressing enough to know that Naruto like Sakura and now she had to listen to their memories. She shouldn't have agreed to eat dinner with them. The more she listened to them, the more she wanted to leave this place.

Naruto, Sakura and Hinata slightly jumped when Sasuke slammed his fist on the table.

"Shut the hell up! We have a guest here."

This was the first time Sasuke had openly displayed his fury toward them. Naruto muttered some curses under his lips but obliged to his command and Sakura kept quiet while glaring at Hinata. Hinata stared at Sasuke, still in shock.

_Was he trying to save me as he knew that I was feeling uncomfortable?_

The meals went smoothly. Halfway through the meal, Naruto started to talk to Sakura, forgetting the previous tension while Sasuke and Hinata ate silently. It was raining heavily when they had finished their meals.

The problem was there was only one umbrella which belonged to Naruto.

"Umm… How are we going to share?" Naruto stretched his head.

"I will wait for the rain to stop." Sasuke repied coolly.

"I want to wait along with Sasuke but I need to rush to another place for my up-coming movie film," Sakura said sadly.

Naruto beamed happily.

"Then I will shelter Sakura. Hinata, will you accompany Sasuke?" Naruto moved towards Hinata and whispered at her ear.

"Ne, Hinata… Onegai? I want to have more time with Sakura," he begged.

Before Hinata could reply, Naruto had dragged the unwilling Sakura away, leaving them. Her eyes blurred as the orange umbrella slowly disappeared from the heavy rain.

"Naruto… how can you forget my love easily as if it is nothing important," she thought.

"Gomenasai, Sasuke-san. I need to leave now. It's alright…Neji expects me to return home early." Not letting him see her tears, she turned and ran.

"That is the lamest excuse." Sasuke cursed and chased after her.

………………………

Hinata was running down the road, not caring if she got sick from the rain. She had no idea where she was going as long as it was away from Naruto and home. Neji and Hanabi would question her and the last thing she needed was Neji's anger. It would be unpleasant seeing Neji beat up Naruto. She finally stopped at the side of an alley as she clutched her wet body together, ignoring the painful thud in her heart.

"I will not cry. I will not…" she mumbled to herself.

In a minute, Sasuke caught up with Hinata and found her hugging herself. Even if he did not know what was going on, it was very obvious that Hinata had loved that dope. There was a slight pain in his heart seeing how fragile she was. He slowly approached her, not wanting to frighten her.

"Hinata…"

She looked up tearfully and met his eyes.

"It is alright to cry out instead of keeping it in your heart."

Once she heard that, she could no longer control and threw herself into his chest. This time, she cried her sorrows out. Sasuke did not know what to do in this kind of situation so he placed his arms around her, hugging her with care.

Hinata's thought was full of Naruto as she cried, recalling how she met him and the time they had together. She had hoped that Naruto would be her prince charming but the dream had been crashed. Who would be the one that bring her happiness?

"Sasuke…" Hinata whispered against his chest.

………………………

In the Uchiha mansion, Itachi was on a phone in his room.

"I have found the prefect girl," he replied with a smirk on his face.

* * *

Done!! I agreed that Sasuke is a bit OOC but that is because Itachi is still alive. In the later chapters, the story is going to be darker so Sasuke's character will change. (That's a hint on how I am going to get the story going. Don't worry. Itachi is not going to die.)

Hope that you like it and continue to support me. Review!! (Wish me luck for my upcoming major exam :P)


	6. Model

Yay! Another chapter! I am a slow writer so please be patient with me. I am also working with my other story – It all started with love which left two more chapters to complete it. It will be great if you watch my latest video at youtube about them :P.

* * *

Chapter 5 – Model 

"Total will be $30."

"Thank you."

Hinata sighed as she picked up the heavy grocery bags. Another free day from work again as Kakashi had called her this morning that Sasuke was sick. She was surprised that even the almighty Uchiha would get ill.

"Well, under his perfect face, he is still human," she thought.

Her eyes flicked on a magazine which was displayed on the glass pane as she passed by a bookstore. It was the latest edition. The front cover showed Sasuke sitting on a dark blue sofa with his hand pulling his bang up and his eyes staring ahead coldly. All the fan girls would squeal and fainted if this picture would come alive. Hinata blushed as she recalled the incident.

"_Hinata…"_

_Hinata looked up tearfully and met Sasuke's eyes. His eyes were gentle._

"_It is alright to cry out instead of keeping it in your heart."_

_Once she heard that, she could no longer control and threw herself into his chest. This time, she cried her sorrows out. Hinata felt warmth enveloped her when he placed his arms around her, hugging her with care. Her thought was full of Naruto as she cried, recalling how she met him and the time they had together. She had hoped that Naruto would be her prince charming but the dream had been crashed. Who would be the one that bring her happiness? Image of a smiling Sasuke flashed on her mind._

"_Sasuke…" Hinata whispered against his chest._

It was still raining heavy when Hinata had calmed down and Sasuke insisted on bringing her home before returning to his house. It was a good thing that Neji was not home from work or the situation would later become chaos. Hinata felt guilty after thinking that she was the one that made him sick. She glanced at the magazine again.

"But… he was so gentle… and warm…" She blushed. Hinata looked left and right before entering quickly into the store, grabbed a copy and went to the counter with her head low. When she had paid the cashier, she quickly took the magazine and dashed towards the exit. However, she bumped into a person and her grocery plus the book dropped to the ground.

"Gomenasai…" Hinata cried out.

"Hinata?"

Hinata looked up and was surprised to see Itachi, standing there with a book in his hand.

"Itachi-san, what are you doing here?"

"Buying book so that I can find a good place to take photos… What are you doing here?" he questioned back.

"Umm.. ano…" she stammered while Itachi picked up the magazine which Hinata dropped.

"Hmm… I didn't know that you are a fan of my brother. I thought you treat him differently from all the fan girls."

Hinata's face turned into a deep shade of red.

"I… I… was just…" she tried to protest but she was at loss of words.

"I will help you carry the bags. Wait for me." He quickly went to purchase his book and helped Hinata. Both of them exited the shop and they walked together in silence.

"Ne Hinata, are you free tomorrow?"

Hinata looked at Itachi from her side.

"I am not sure… Sasuke-san may be feeling well tomorrow and I will be working."

"Can you take a leave off? Be my model tomorrow."

Hinata dropped one of the grocery bags.

……………………………

"Hello, Kakashi-san? Umm… Can I take a leave off tomorrow?"

"Sure. Sasuke still not feeling too well… You have something on that is important tomorrow?"

"Umm, well…"

_Be my model tomorrow._

"Are you going out with a guy?"

Hinata's eyes widened and shouted on the phone. "NO! It's not what you think…"

Kakashi laughed and said, "Well, have fun tomorrow!"

With that he hung up. Hinata stared at the phone in disbelief and sighed as she put the phone back.

………………………………

The next day,

cough

Sasuke rested his head on the cooling pillar as he stared at Mikoto making soup for him. Even though he was recovering very fast and felt that he could work today, his mother still insisted that he should stay at home.

He grumbled when he thought of the time he had to spend doing nothing. The house was empty as both his father and his brother went out.

"Where is Itachi-nii?" Sasuke asked his mother when she placed the soup on the table. He started drinking while Mikoto answered.

"He went out with a girl called Hinata."

Sasuke spilled his soup.

"SHIT!"

………………………………

"Wow! This is a beautiful place." Hinata exclaimed as she stared in awe at the field of sunflowers in front of her.

Click.

Hinata turned to Itachi who was holding the camera. He smiled.

"Don't mind me. Your expression is good. Just continue to act normally."

Hinata blushed and obeyed his command. She walked down to the field and softly touched the sunflower.

"I have wanted to ask you. Why do you want me to be the model?"

"I am participating in this competition which can help me to achieve closer to my future career. Therefore, I want to take my best shoot."

"But why me?"

Itachi smiled but did not reply as Hinata stared at him in confusion. He walked towards her and raised his hand to touch her.

"Because you are…"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!!"

………………………………

Sasuke frowned as he looked at the couple in front of him. He was hiding among the brushes, trying not to make a sound. It was an uncomfortable position and was feeling hot. When he had found out where they were, he had taken off quickly despite his mother protest.

"Why do I bother so much about them? It's not like Hinata is my lover (How many times did I told myself that)… well, I just… just want to make sure Itachi doesn't do anything funny with Hinata… yeah, this must be it… Hinata is my caretaker. I should also at least do the same… how come… I suddenly feel… dizzy…"

Sasuke shook his head to clear the big throbbing on his head and focused on Itachi and Hinata. When he saw Itachi lifting his hand to touch her, something snapped in him.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!!"

Itachi and Hinata stared at Sasuke who jumped out of the brushes not far from them, fuming.

"I… I…"

Not sure whether it was the anger or embarrassment, Sasuke felt very dizzy and the next moment, there was blankness.

"Sa…Sasuke-san!" Hinata cried out and ran towards him. She felt his forehead. It was burning hot.

"He's having a fever."

"Baka. He should just quietly stay at home." Itachi approached them with an indifferent expression. He picked up his brother roughly.

"Let's go back."

Their destination was a small countryside house with different flowers growing around it. It was at the end of the forest and it's back faced towards the sea which was a distance walk. Hinata placed a cold towel on Sasuke's forehead when Itachi put him on a bed. He was panting softly and sweats were slowly falling down to his neck.

"Sasuke-san…"

Unknowingly, Itachi watched them from behind and after a moment, he made his way towards her. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go outside. I will have my servant to take care of him. We still have a bit of time left to finish my work."

Hinata slowly nodded. She took a last look at Sasuke before following Itachi. It was a silent moment as they walked along the beach.

"You seem to care a lot for my brother."

Hinata blushed and stopped walking.

"He had helped me a lot… that is why I want to do something for him."

Hinata looked at the sea as she let the gentle breeze relaxed and calmed her.

"My parents died when I was young and my cousin had to suffer to support my sister and me… My friend introduced a job which is to help around in Sasuke's work. I am very glad that I have taken this job and met Sasuke. He had helped me when I needed someone the most."

Hinata turned to Itachi and smiled.

"It is important to treasure something, whether it is a person or your interest. This feeling will give you a determination not to give up. I want to treasure the people around me."

Hinata turned to look at the sea again while Itachi was lost in his thought. He lifted up his camera and snapped.

………………………………

After a week, the news of the wining competition arrived. Hinata walked slowly down the corridor as she passed by a roll of photos displayed on the wall.

"It should be around here…" she thought as she looked at the direction on the paper given by Itachi.

"Row 6… Number 34."

She stopped and her eyes widened as she stared at the photo where a crowd of people was crowding around it. It was her. Gentle eyes gazed at the night sea, lost in her world; her hair was blown away slightly from her face, revealing her small smile. Moreover, the picture was enlarged and underneath, it was announced as the first price.

Hinata lifted her hand to cup her slightly opened mouth as she continued to stare in disbelief.

The corner of the image was written: The beauty of the night.

……………………………

Itachi lied on his bed as he stared at the blank ceiling, letting his thought wondered. He remembered the words during their walk together along the beach. An image of Hinata taking care of Sasuke appeared on his mind. He scowled and got up from his bed. He went to his father's study room and knocked the door.

"Come in."

"What do you want?" Fugaku asked as he looked up from his work. Itachi held an emotionless face and spoke in determination.

"I am ready to take over your business."

* * *

End of chapter. The next chapter will be updated longer as I still could not get any ideas yet even though I have a rough summary. Hopefully, you will wait for it.

Happy New Year!


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